Bottle carrier



Qct. 10, 1.950 G. A. ARNETT BOTTLE CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 15. 194s Snventor Gea/ye A. 4f/leeft G. A. ARNETT BOTTLE CARRIER Oct. 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheat 2 Filed March l5, 1948 IIII IIIIHIIlIllIH IIHIHIIIIIIIII! B'xwenfor Cttornegs I Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CARRIER George A. Arnett, Wichita, Kans.

Application March 15, 1948, Serial No. 14,889

This invention relates to a bottle carrier and is particularly adapted for bottles containing soft drinks, milk or the like.

` The principal object of the invention is to provide a device for accommodating a plurality of bottles having a body portion adapted to receive two parallel rows of bottles and a handle between the rows, the handle being movable upwardly and downwardly, the handle being moved upwardly for carrying the device and moved downwardly between the necks of the bottles so that the carriers containing the bottles may be stacked one on top of the other for storage, and also pivoted laterally to be out of the way for loading or unloading `the carrier. I

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is inexpensive to manufacture and ecient for the purpose desired; to provide a device having a bottom with raised portions to engage the bottom of the bottles to prevent such bottles from contacting each other;` to provide a device having a top portion with openings for receiving the bottles and to prevent the necks of the bottles from contacting each other; to provide a device of this character in which the bottles can be easily and quickly placed; to provide space in said openings for reception of the loading and unloading mechanism for the bottles; to provide a device of this character having a detachable handle member, and to provide a carrier of light weight and readily transportable.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my bottle carrier.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the device with parts broken away to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 3 is a section longitudinally through the carrier.

Fig. 4 is4 a transverse cross-sectional View through the carrier.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the posts and handle forming part of the present invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a bottle carrier embodying the features of my invention having a body 2 consisting of a bottom 3, sides 4 5, and ends 6 1. The body is preferably made of sheet metal although any material may be used such as fiberboard, plastic or the like. The sides I and 5 are made in two pieces and have their respective ends turned backwardly to form ilanges 8 and 9 which are interlocked and pressed together as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The body is here shown to 1 Claim. (Cl. 224-48) be substantially rectangular in shape and has rounded corners I0. The bottom edges of the sides 4 and 5 are turned inwardly and bent back upon themselves forming flanges IIl and |12 and a channel in which the bottom 3 by turning the bottom plate downwardly and inwardly engage, as best illustrated in Fig. fi. The flanges are pressed together forming a rigid structure.

A top I3 is also made from a piece of sheet material and is inset in the open top of the side and end portions of the body. The top has its outer edge rolled outwardly and downwardly as indicated at Iii (Fig. ll), and is adapted to engage over the upper edge of the side and end portions as indicated at I6 (Fig. 4). vThe upper edges of the side and ends are curved outwardly I and inwardly as indicated at I7. The inside of the top portion is also bent and pressed into the groove around' the inside of the top of the body portion to form a beard around the toptol make rigid structure.

The body here illustrated is shown in rectangular shape and is adapted to accommodate twelve bottles in rows of six each. The bottom plate 3 is provided with a plurality of raised portions IS arranged in rows longitudinally of the body and adapted for engaging the bottom of the bottles placed in the carrier. Usually such bottles have upwardly dished bottom portions and the portions I9 engage in the recesses of the bottoms of the bottles to prevent the bottles from contacting each other at the base thereof.

The top plate I3 is also provided with a plurality of openings I9 formed by cutting out the top plate. These openings are in line with the raised portions IB in the bottom of the carrier. The bottles extend through the openings I'S when they are placed in the carrier and are supported by the bottom 3. The openings I9 are provided with downturned flanges 20 so as to form a smooth surface for the bottles. The openings are so situated as to prevent the bottles from contacting each other to prevent breaking and marring thereof.

The top I3 is provided with a plurality of recesses 2| around the periphery of the openings i9 so that mechanism (not shown) may be inserted in the recesses to engage the bottles for loading or unloading the carrier.

The bottom 3 is provided with spaced openings 22 and the top I3 is provided with spaced openings 23 in alignment with the openings 22 to receive posts or standards 25 and 26. The posts are made of sheet metal and bent in the form of a U-shape having sides 21 and 28 and channelways 29. The lower ends of the posts have grooves 30` on their outer periphery formed by rolling the lower end of the posts as indicated at 3| and turning of the ends to form a iange 32 as best illustrated in Fig. 5. The grooves 30 are adapted to engage the edge of the bottom 3 formed by the openings 22. The roll 3l and ange 32 are pressed together to rigidly secure the posts in the openings. The upper ends of the posts are also provided with grooves 33, a roll portion 34 and flange 35. The groove 33 is adapted to engage the edges of the top i3 formed by the openings 23 and the rolls 34 and ange 35 pressed together to rigidly secure the top plate to the upper ends of the posts.

The channelways 29 of the posts 25 and 26 are adapted to receive U-shaped shank portions 36 and 3l of a handle member 30. The handle 38 is also made of sheet metal and the cross member 39 rolled in substantially U-shape, the lower sides being rounded as indicated at 40 to provide a smooth hand surface 4l.

The shanks 36 and 3l' of the handle are movable upwardly and downwardly in the channels 29 of the posts 25 and 25. The sides l2 and 43 of the U-shaped shanks are provided with slots 44 and rlhe sides 2li and 28 of the posts are provided with openings it and il adapted to receive cotter pins or the like 48 which extend therethrough and also through the grooves 44 and 45 in the Shanks of the handle to retain the shanks in the posts and allow the shanks to slide upwardly and downwardly in the channel members 2i?.

The handle 3Q has arms 19 and 5B having their lower ends pivoted to the upper end oi the Shanks 35 and 37 so that the handle will fold laterally of the Shanks in either direction to lie flat across the top i3 as best illustrated in Fig. 2. rIhe upper ends of the Shanks and 2l are ilared outwardly and flattened as indicated at i forming side flanges 52 and 53. The arms 49 and 50 of the handle are lat and their lower ends are curved slightly forming side flanges 54 and 55 the lower edges being turned slightly inwardly as indicated at 55 so that the channel portion of the ends of the arms engage the ilattened portion of the upper ends of the shanks and are pivotally secured thereto by rivets or the like 57. The inwardly curved portion 56 of the arms engaging a shoulder 58 on the shanks to form a friction contact to hold the handle normally in upright position. The arms i9 and 5E of the handle are oiset as indicated at 59 so that the handle will pass over the tops of a pair of bottles as illustrated in Fig. 2

and so that the loading mechanism (not shown) will pass through the handle.

While I have here illustrated and described a carrier in substantially rectangular shape and adapted to accommodate twelve bottles, it will be obvious that other shapes may be used and also the device may be adapted to carry any number of bottles.

It is further obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved carrying device which may be quickly and easily assembled, which is simple, economical and eicient in operation and particularly a carrier having a removable handle member and slidable upwardly and downwardly to allow stacking of the carriers one on top of the other when they are lled with bottles.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A bottle carrier comprising a body having sides and ends, a bottom and top, said top having openings therein for receiving the bottles to be carried, said sides and ends being formed from a single sheet of material and said top and bottom being secured thereto by crimping the edges together, said bottom and top having spaced aligned openings, Ushaped posts having their respective ends secured in said openings in said bottom and top, said U -shaped posts forming channelways, Shanks forming extensions for said posts, a U-shaped handle, pivotally attached to the upper ends of said Shanks, said shanks being U-shaped and extending through the top and engage in said channelways of the posts, said posts having openings in the sides of the U-shaped portions substantially midway of the posts, the sides of the Shanks of the U-shaped handle having longitudinal slots, and a. pin adapted to engage in said openings in the posts and through the slots in the shanks of the handle to slidably secure the handle to the posts, said handle being foldable downwardly between the necks of bottles in the carrier.

GEORGE A. ARNEIT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,395,601 Wenthe Feb. 26, 1946 2,426,830 Kidd Sept. 2, 1947 2,427,004 Kampf Sept. 9, 1947 2,431,713 Stigler Dec. 2, 1947 2,443,967 Smith June 22, 1948 

